http://curveswelcome.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/young-woman-2194038_1280-e1497603446880.jpg525700Suzie Carrhttp://a26.c8c.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Curves-Welcome-Suzie-Carr.gifSuzie Carr2017-06-15 22:46:002017-06-24 13:37:30How to Have a Great Attitude

A question to ponder: if you could offer one thing that could impact others, what would it be?

4 Ways to Impact Others

After tossing this question out to the masses here were some responses on ways to impact others:

Giving a hug

Respecting someone by being honest

Making time for someone

Offering love and light

When we give of ourselves, we impact others. We empower them. We enrich their lives. We spread joy.

Giving takes on many forms. A gift of donating money to a worthy cause can be just as powerful as sharing a smile with someone who is having a bad day. The positive effect ripples and grows exponentially, spreading its roots deeper in areas that crave life, energy and the hope of a better day.

If we all gave a little something each day, the world, in its most basic spiritual sense, would be a better place.

It’s so easy to impact others.

Here’s why. The spirit of giving is contagious. It magnifies a power that attracts more giving, thus completing a powerful circle. When we impact others this way, we open up to all sorts of positive vibes that have the power to touch countless people in ways we can’t even begin to describe.

The gift of a smile can spread to thousands.

The gift of sitting with an elderly patient can brighten spirits.

The gift of blankets and kibble at an animal shelter can save countless of precious lives.

The gift of a hug offers soulful nourishment.

When we give, we help others feel the beauty of peace, gratitude, and hope. Giving renews spirits, ours included. That, in and of itself, is a gift to the world. If we’re living in our best light, then those around us benefit, too.

Make It a Goal to Impact Others.

Whenever possible, find a way to bring out the best in yourself and others. So many people are counting on you!

I’ve had an experience with bullies. It changed me. Thankfully, it didn’t destroy me. It actually turned me into a stronger person. I was a lucky one.

Bullies affect far too many children still, and as a community, we need to change this.

When I wrote The Muse, a lesbian romance novel that deals with the subject of bullying and how it affects us throughout our lifetime, I did so with the goal of bringing awareness to the issues that affect so many and to hopefully save people from having to deal with its hurtful consequences.

The best chance we have as a community to help stop bullies is by standing up to them as leaders, as change agents, as role models.

Bullies Can Destroy Lives

I was bullied as a young girl, bullied right into a two year silence, literally. One girl controlled my power to speak by slapping me repeatedly every time I spoke. That bully of a girl never let me sit apart from her. Her glare, her firm slap if I moved the wrong way had to be obvious to my teacher who sat before me, right? I never felt so alone as I did in that year. Weakened by a bully, I sat victim for two long years too afraid to speak on my own behalf.

Then a hero came to my rescue. Although he didn’t attend my school, he befriended me in my neighborhood and taught me how to stand up for myself through example. No bullies messed with me when I couldn’t speak. They respected me because he respected me. He was a change agent at the age of seven. To this day, I doubt he knows the positive level of impact he had on my life.

He stood up against bullies for me.

That was the key. He communicated to me and to others that I was someone worthy.

As a community, how do we nurture such individuals to rise to the occasion and become these much needed change agents? How do we convince kids to be leaders against bullies? I don’t think we can expect to just sit idle and hope some of them take up flight and stand up for those weakened and battered down by bullies. I think it starts with communicating clearly and precisely with the youth that we need them to willingly stand up for those being pushed down. Their simple presence most often is all that is needed.

Students can help stop bullies if we, as a community, teach them 3 important things:

Encourage them to become agents of change by becoming mentors, advocates and leaders for their peers.

Encourage high school students to lead by example. High school students have a credibility that rings more true and strong to younger students.

Encourage them to become a safe place, to become a friend, to become that person who really cares about the feelings of another human being.

If we could stop puppy mills,we would put an end to one of the worst of the worst places you could ever imagine a lovable dog should ever have to spend his/her life. Too melodramatic? Well, it’s true.

As an avid animal advocate and lover, I feel it’s critical for human beings to protect the welfare of animals. They rely on us, trust us, and remain by our sides with loyal, unconditional love. When I wrote my lesbian romance novel, A New Leash on Life, I did so to not only entertain, but also to educate about animal welfare and the importance of supporting no-kill animal shelters through adoption, fostering and donations.

Thank you for not supporting puppy mills!

The Truth About Puppy Mills

According to The Humane Society (www.stoppuppymills.org), puppy mills house dogs in shockingly poor conditions. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are often killed, abandoned or sold cheaply to another mill to try and get “one more litter” out of the dog. The annual result of all this breeding is millions of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems.

Why would anyone choose to support puppy mills?

The short answer to that is most supporters don’t even realize they are supporting them.

So what can we do to stop puppy mills?

Never shop at pet stores that sell animals. Never. Even buying a bag of kibble from such a place supports them and will continue the harsh, cruel cycle of commercial breeding.

Never buy a puppy from a pet store. According to the Oprah show, 99% of all puppies from a pet store come from a puppy mill. Whatever you do, NEVER buy from a pet store. You will only fuel the business of puppy mills. Instead, seek out pet stores who support homeless pet adoptions.

Adopt a dog from an animal shelter.

Support and volunteer at your local animal shelter.

Exercise your right to vote and work with your state legislature on the passage of local laws in your own community that will improve the lives of dogs in puppy mills.

Download and print these flyers (courtesy of The Humane Society) and bring them to your veterinarian or groomer’s office: “Getting a Puppy?” and “How to Find a Good Dog Breeder” are designed to help potential pet owners avoid puppy mills.

Spread the word. Most people have no idea what a puppy mill even is, let alone that the cute puppy they purchased from the local pet store was born in the worst of conditions to a mother who has lived her entire life in a wire crate under despicable circumstances.

The longer we support pet stores who support puppy mills, the more dogs will have to continue to suffer at the hands of careless human beings. Let’s end this thing.

If you are considering welcoming a pet into your life, please consider adopting a shelter pet.

As with all of my books, I enjoy giving a portion of proceeds back to the #lgbt community as well as to the Hearts United for Animals: www.hua.org, a no-kill animal sanctuary.

P.S. Please chime in… Before I volunteered at an animal shelter, I had no idea what puppy mills really were. If you could pick one action (from the above list or one I didn’t include) to help stop puppy mills, what would it be?

Thinking positive can be easy even under trying times…don’t believe me? Read on…

For starters, my morning started off slightly rocky. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. to work on a time-sensitive project. I worked on it until 4:30 a.m. Just as I was saving it, the program closed out and all my work disappeared. Yup. Can you imagine the rage? Thinking positive was the last think on my mind!

I had a choice. I could dwell for the rest of the day on the misfortune, punch a wall, frustrate everyone around me with my negativity, or find a way to start thinking positive.

I choose the later.

Thinking Positive: Exercise can help

Exercise was my tool of choice this morning, Insanity’s Max Cardio Circuit to be exact. I worked out like a complete maniac! I never did so many pushups and with such gusto… ha. Bottom line, with every ounce of energy I poured into exerting my muscles, a little piece of negativity here and there started to break off. After an hour, I felt empowered and ready to tackle whatever else the day will decide to toss in my path.

Thinking Positive: Pets are wonderful

I love my dogs. They have gotten me through many a frustrating moment. A pet’s cuteness will take over and make you realize that you’re never alone in your struggles. They are always right there to offer a poochie kiss, a lean, or a good laugh if you’ve got a Boxer like me who never fails to entertain. Pets have a remarkable way of smoothing over the rough edges of any situation.

Thinking Positive: Shift your focus to other things

When tested, the last thing we sometimes want to do is let by gones be by gones. However, this is often a great strategy. The downward spiral of ‘what-if’ thinking can be devastating. Whatever happened, happened. Nothing we do will turn back the clock and erase it. So, do what you can in the ‘now’ by turning your attention to something you can control. Maybe it’s a project you’ve been putting off, a letter you need to write, a new set of shoes you’ve been meaning to buy. Just go do it. Do something to get your mind off of what’s bothering you so you can move forward and return to the problem with a more balanced mindset.

This morning, when all hell broke loose on me with my unsaved project, I caved into the moment with a good hearty scream. It’s good to let it out. But, it’s more important to let it be, learn from it, and move forward.

We all want to end bullying. It’s hurtful and its effects can last a lifetime.

End Bullying by Reaching Out

Joshua Ramos is a fellow blogger and an incredibly compassionate person who blogs about bullying. Today, he shared a post that really inspired. He touched my heart in such a way that I felt an instant need to hop on here and write this blog so you can experience his big heart, too.

Joshua’s honesty and sincerity are ever present. He’s someone who is making a difference and is reaching out to the community as a caring and compassionate person. Just like me and so many of us, he’s trying to put an end to bullying.

A lot of people ask what can we do about bullying as a society? Well, Joshua Ramos wrote something the other day that I want to share with you. He’s showing us one of many ways we can positively affect our community.

To Help End Bullying, Connection is Key

Here’s compassion at its finest…From Joshua Ramos

This message is for everyone and anyone; nobody is left behind. I want to do something that no one had done for me when I was growing up; I want to listen. I want to read your stories; this goes for kids, teenagers and adults. Tell me your story and how you’re dealing with it or how you dealt with it. If you want, tell me what no one knows and I promise I won’t say a word. If you have any questions about things like this let me know. If you were a bully and want to make amends, talk to me. Now is the time to make things right, it’s not too late. Be the better person and make things right. If you just need to get something off your chest let me know and I will be there for you. You can message me on Facebook under Joshua Ramos or find/follow me on Twitter @bullied2airman. If you don’t have either accounts, you can easily comment this post and I will send you my personal email. I am willing to listen if you’re willing to open up to me. I don’t want another individual to take the ultimate sacrifice when there was something I could’ve done. Lets do this everyone; tell me your story.